The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the recently sacked Managing Directors and several top officials of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries over alleged mismanagement of $2.9 billion allocated for the rehabilitation of the facilities.
During the investigation, the EFCC discovered a staggering N80 billion in the bank account of one of the sacked managing directors, a top source at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) revealed.
The name of the official in question was however, not disclosed at the time of this report.
Findings by The PUNCH show that the anti-graft agency is probing the following disbursements:
$1.5 billion allocated to the Port Harcourt Refinery, $740 million released for the Kaduna Refinery, and $656 million approved for the Warri Refinery
The ex-Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited is Mr. Ibrahim Onoja, while Efifia Chu formerly headed the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited.
Names of the other officials under investigation have not been officially disclosed.
A senior EFCC source, who spoke to The PUNCH on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the arrests are part of an ongoing probe into the massive funds disbursed for the quick-fix maintenance of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries.
“We are investigating the money that was released for the rehabilitation of all three refineries, money disbursed in recent times.
“All the principal officers within that time frame are being invited. Some have been arrested already, and we are still on the lookout for others,” the official stated.
“Nigerians are interested in seeing our refineries work. We are asking: where is the money, and what has happened to the refineries?”
A document obtained by The PUNCH from the NNPCL, dated April 28, 2025, and titled ‘Investigation Activities: Request for Information’, confirms that the EFCC’s probe also includes the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari.
The document lists 13 other former senior executives of the national oil firm who are also under investigation for alleged misappropriation of funds.